Would the Mountain Men have survived?

[Mtnboy]

Some very interesting discussion! Thanks guys!

 

[ethan]

Great thread, very interesting! A bit off topic, but kind of similar; I've always found it odd how people look at what the Spanish did to the tribes in Mexico and what the settlers did to the Indians and think how cruel it was. But in reality, the stronger tribes were doing the exAct same things to weaker tribes. I've always figured folks were just trying to get by the best way they knew how. I think ultimately the mountain men were "apex" survivors and would get by much better today than they did in the 1800's.

 

[thru-hunter]

Remove the seasons and limits and it would be plenty possible to homestead Alaska today. I pass by hundreds of sub legal animals every year in search of the few that meet the limitations. Could we all do it? No way we would eat our selves out of game in Short order. Thankfully most if the population has less than zero desire to even try being self sufficient in basic urban life much less trying to live off the land. My vote would be yes, the mountain men would be fine today. I know a couple homesteaders that are living that life in present day.

 

[Hard Knocks]

If you have never heard of Hugh Glass, read up on him, a very interesting character.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Glass

Thats one tough hombre

 

[JPD350]

I agree, a very interesting thread! I recently watched a movie about Hugh Glass, it wasn't the best acting but the story was very interesting

When it comes to who would survive from the past in the now we would have to imagine that the mass population and fences were not present, what a wonderful thought! Would humans still take the same historical path and end up just like we are today? I would think so, it would only be different if they knew what is known today.

I've been all over NM for a lot of years and I often find fascinating history in the most unlikely places and think about they way it was to survive back then, what a wild and harsh place the west must have been! one thing for sure is that people whoever they were have been in every nook and cranny for a very long time using the land and animals in different ways and all impacting it differently, survival off of the land being the common denominator, the instincts of human survival is amazing.

I am going back out deer hunting in a few hours, I am going south of Grants by the Acoma and Zuni reservations, what a historical bad ass place! the overlapping history of Indians and Pioneers is felt almost every step you take.

 

[squeekieslayer]

i dont know if they all would have... but this guy certainly would have survived. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ4T9CQA0UM

haha

Joe

 

[jrice]

That guy on a buffalo thing is a complete riot! What's the story on that?

Elkhunter 241 mentioned that the old timers in North Idaho killed all predators on sight, and I think that was pretty much the case everywhere until fairly recently. I knew some old timers in the Appalachians decades ago and I can tell you they were of that mind their entire lives. Virginia has a strong bear population east of the mountains now in relatively densely settled country. That would not have been thought possible 20 years ago. The main reason for that is that they are no longer shot on sight, that's all it takes. I think it's very hard for most people to understand what rural life was really like only a short time ago. It was a fight. Have you ever wondered why old timers like to tell hunting stories about the time that they made some kill that was just incredibly easy, you know, had the deer back home and hung up in time for breakfast, that sort of story. I think it was because almost everything else in their life came so dang hard.

 

[Ray]

That guy on a buffalo thing is a complete riot! What's the story on that?
.

Guy on a Buffalo is cut from the movie Buffalo Rider. I think most of the movie has been loaded to YouTube.

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0198346/

 

[husky390]

It's all urbanites fantasies and revisionist history that greenies and native rights people are chasing.

I'd be willing to bet those same greenies have lived in cities all their lives and wouldn't survive if we were to be somehow set back 100 years ago. My grandparents grew up as dairy farmers and my Grandmother did not like going into antique shops. She said it reminded her of how hard times were back then. After hearing that, I had a whole new appreciation of the stuff we have now and a whole new look on tools and equipment used back then.

Great topic.